Arthur Quinn and the World Serpent (23 page)

As they walked down the driveway, Max and Ash were walking up.

‘Hello you two. What are you dressed as, Max?' Joe asked when he saw them.

‘I'm a Viking!' exclaimed Max cheerfully. He'd made a tunic out of an old black sheet he'd found under their stairs and a pendant and helmet out of tin foil. He also carried a sword he'd constructed from tin foil and cardboard.

‘That's great, Max!' said Joe. ‘What about you, Ash? No costume?'

‘No,' she said. ‘I didn't really feel like dressing up this year.'

‘Same as Arthur. He's in the living room watching TV. Come on in.'

As Joe filled up Max's goodie bag in the hallway with sweets and nuts, balancing precariously on his good leg, Ash asked Arthur how he was feeling.

‘Not bad,' he said. ‘I didn't have a nightmare last night, which was a bonus. And this hasn't been glowing.' He held up the pendant from around his neck. ‘So that's probably a good sign too.'

‘Have you worked out what that hammer is yet?'

It was stored under his bed. ‘No idea. But it helped defeat Loki so it has to be a good thing.'

‘Hey,' said Joe, swinging back into the room and looking at the TV, ‘who's that guy?'

An American cartoon had been playing but now the screen was full of Loki's face. It was an extreme close-up of the younger Loki, unscarred and with a neatly trimmed beard and clean hair. As always, he was grinning.

Arthur, Ash and Max looked at each other.

‘That's –' Ash began.

‘My name is Loki,' Loki's voice said from the TV set. ‘Right now, I'm speaking to everyone in the world. Everyone can see or hear this message. The entire world.' His grin disappeared now. ‘Remember that giant snake that attacked Dublin? Well, now you don't. You will all forget about it: forget it ever happened, forget the eyewitness accounts and the descriptions of the serpent. Just forget. And I want you to forget me too. Forget my face, forget my voice, forget you ever saw me on here tonight. You see, it's very difficult to be an evildoer if people are expecting you.'

He leaned forward, nearer the camera that was on him, going out of focus as he did. ‘I want you all to forget. All of you. Except three people: Arthur Quinn and Ash and Max Barry. I want you three to remember. Because I want to haunt your dreams. And I want you three to know that sometime, somehow, when you're least expecting it, I'm coming to get you.'

He sat back again and the camera refocused on him. ‘Well, that's all from me for now. Goodnight, world.'

The transmission shut off and the cartoon flickered back into life. Arthur looked at Ash; Ash looked at Max.

‘Dad?' Arthur asked. ‘Did you hear about the giant snake?'

‘What giant snake?' replied Joe.

‘The giant serpent, Dad. That attacked Dublin.'

‘Oh wait,' Joe said, smiling, ‘is this some kind of Hallowe'en joke? No, I didn't hear about the giant snake.' He waited for the punchline, but instead Arthur turned to his friends.

‘Well, it looks like Loki's little trick has worked,' he said. Ash and Max looked at him, worried. ‘But,' he continued, brightening up, ‘I'm not too concerned. I've got two great friends and an army at my disposal. What more could a twelve-year-old boy want?'

Joe looked confused. ‘That's not much of a punchline.'

‘No,' said Arthur, ‘no, it's not. But it's true.'

And with that, Arthur, Ash and Max burst out laughing.

Loki left the TV studio, pulling the collar up on his grey blazer. He walked away, forgotten and unseen. They may have beaten him once but they wouldn't do it again. He already knew how to defeat them next time. It would be so easy to destroy the world. All he had to do was follow the howl of the wolf.

Born in Leitrim and now living in Dublin, Alan Early studied in the National Film School, Dun Laoghaire. Upon graduation in 2008, he co-founded Annville Films. From an early age he used to write and illustrate short stories about Banshees and ghost animals and whatever else struck his imagination. When he was ten, he visited Dublinia, a recreated Viking village and so began a love affair with Viking lore.

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